The Fall of Man
"For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard" Rom 3:23
Does this mean that I have sinned? Yes! Does this mean that YOU have sinned? Yes! It is VERY IMPORTANT that you acknowledge this as the focal point in understanding man's sinful condition. "If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth." 1John 1:8 Jesus says himself, "Healthy people don't need a doctor, sick people do...For I come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know that they are sinners" Matthew 9:12,13 Will a man visit a doctor if he thinks himself to be in perfect condition? Of course not. But if he's sick, and he knows he's sick (just as we know that we are sinners), then at least he'll consider it based on the severity of his condition. So, if you've gotten this far then maybe the next logical question to ask is, "How severe is our sickness that the bible refers to it as being a 'sinful condition'?" Or better yet, "How did we get sick in the first place?"
The Cause of our Fall
"When Adam sinned, sin entered the world" Rom 5:12
Does this mean that we should blame Adam for our sinfulness? No, the bible describes Satan as being the originator of sin, and as being the one who led our first parents away from God. While it can be said that Adam caused sin to enter the world, a vital part of the Fall of Man is that WE ALL, on our own, free, and unaided, have sinned against God alongside him. Think of it like this. If I decide to bring a jar of toxic chemicals into my room, they will only effect me as long as I'm the only one who interacts with them. Now if my roommates happen to enter the room and see the jar labeled "Toxic! do not touch" but decide to take a sip from it anyways, who should receive 100% of the blame? Sure the chemicals entered the house because of me, but didn't my room-mates volunteer to drink it even though they knew that it would kill them? Or what If I decided to start a riot in the streets all by myself and people volunteered to join me? You could easily say that I started the riot, but wouldn't the people that followed me fall under the same judgment as well, or are they free to go? In both cases, its clear that I've caused the bad things that happened, but I am only partially and not entirely to blame. In the same way, when the bible says,
"Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned." Rom 5:12 Its saying, "Yes Adam brought a jar of toxic chemicals into the world, but didn't you drink from it?" Or, "Yes Adam started a riot, but didn't you join?" So yes Adam sinned, but didn't you?
The Effects of our Fall
"For the wages of sin is death" Rom 6:23
PLEASE! Do not blow over this verse, just because you may have heard it a thousand times. Take a minute and think of your life as if it were your job. When you do some work, you receive the wages that you have earned. Since we all have sinned on our daily job of life, we have all earned death as a paycheck. This is exactly Why You and I die! God told Adam and Eve, "You may freely eat any fruit in the garden except fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat of its fruit, you will surely die." Gen 2:16,17 So If you still think that you have never sinned, then you may as well say that you will never die. This verse makes it clear that sin and death go hand in hand, for "The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law." 1Cor 15:56
Do you believe that sin leads to death? While some people try to ignore death, they know deep inside how unavoidable it really is. Others try to cope by trying to deny the existence of God altogether , but "Only fools say in their hearts, "There is no God."" Ps 14:1 And, "They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God" Rom 1:19-20 While death is the physical effect of our fall, the spiritual consequence is that we are also separated from God himself. "It's your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore." Isaiah 59:2 This is, without any doubt, the Bad News of what the bible has to say about us, but God is Just, and proves it by showing everyone their flaws in order that we may be able to accept his Response as an act of grace (receiving what we didn't deserve). Below is an illustration and a song by Cross Movement to summarize what has been said so far...
(click image to hear track by Ambassador)
God's Response to Man's Fall
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Rom 5:8
The good news is that Christ paid the price for our fall, and only through Him can we be picked up again. This verse perfectly depicts God's unconditional love for His creation. Even though man fell and deserved to die because of his sin, God made a way for man to get up again and live. Jesus is God's only provision for the sin of mankind. "The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." 1 John 1:7 In essence, God himself came down from heaven, put on some flesh, thereby becoming fully man (although still fully God) that He may sacrifice Himself for each of us, and erased the effects of our fall by paying the penalty of our sins. By doing this He created a bridge (Himself) that provided man the one and only pathway to regaining fellowship with God from the previous state of separation from Him. As the Bible says "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in him" 2nd Corinthians 5:21
"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone" Hebrews 2:9
Only God Himself can satisfy the Law's requirements by being sinless. Now don't undermine this sacrifice, it is the greatest love story in all of history. Because He loved us sooo much He died in our place, substituting His life for ours. Now one might be tempted to think Ok so He's God, how hard can it be for Him to live a perfect, sinless life? The significance of God becoming man is that He was subjected to the same temptations and weaknesses as we are. "He was bruised, beaten, and scarred for our transgressions." Isaiah 53:5-6 Since we cannot and did not fulfill the Law and are incapable of pleasing God, Christ did it instead. "Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, he is able to aid those who are tempted." Hebrews 2:17-18
"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6
Consider this illustration: Picture you being arrested and tried in court for a heinous crime. The jury deliberates in record time and you are convicted on all accounts and sentenced to Death-row, and carried off to the electric chair. However, as you are walked to the electric chair, they stop you before you reach the door and tell you that not only did you not have to die, but you are free to go, because someone died in your place. You, being fixated on who would be willing to do this, looked through the glass and was astonished by who was sitting in the chair. It was the judge himself, who came off of his chair, forsook His honor and position and lowered himself by removing his robe and taking your punishment on himself so that you wouldn't have to die.
"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace" Ephesians 1:7
But you make ask? Why did Jesus Have to die for our sins? Or, is there another way? (Click Here) for more information, and also note that the bible makes it abundantly clear that according to the Law, atonement or pardon from sin can only be done through the shedding of blood (Lev.17:11, Hebrews 9:22). The sacrifice was required to be unblemished and without defect (Lev. 22:19). In the old testament, they sacrificed animals to continuously to receive atonement, but Jesus in the new testament made a one-time, once for all sacrifice that fully redeems mankind and remains effective for all of eternity.
Jesus Rose From the Dead
"I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies" John 11:25
So far, I have described that we all have fallen away from God because of our sin which leads to death, but that God himself came to earth to die for these sins, defeating death once and for all. Lastly, the Good News is that Jesus Christ rose from the dead after being punished for our sins. The resurrection of Jesus is the heart of Christianity. Now, this is where Christianity differs from every other organized form of belief. We serve a living God. Jesus' sacrifice perfectly compensated for our Fall, meaning the atoning of sin was fully completed on the cross. But the most significant part of this experience is that Christ rose from the dead in His human flesh thus defeating death itself. A testimony of this was given in the gospel of John when "The Jews demanded of Him (Jesus), "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?" Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" But the temple he had spoken of was his body." John 2:18-21
"Our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immorality to light through the gospel" 2nd Timothy 1:10
Christ died so that we might be forgiven of sin, but He rose from the dead to distribute the forgiveness to all who believe, and to grant them eternal life. His death and resurrection go hand in hand in demonstrating God's love for us by making a provision for us to live a new life in Him. "He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification [forgiveness]."" Romans 4:25 "For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living." Rom 14:9 Again, the resurrection of Jesus is the heart of Christianity and the focal point of the Gospel. The summary of the Gospel is this:
1: Christ died for our sins
2: He was buried
3: He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures and was seen by over five hundred Corinthians 15:3-6
Without the resurrection, there would be no gospel, no Christianity, no salvation. Paul himself wrote that "if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain... you are still in your sins" 1 Cor.15:14,17. The resurrection of Jesus, is very substantial because it reveals the power Jesus has over sin and death itself!!! In fact, Jesus is the first born over the dead, and through his resurrection, he enables believers to one day be resurrected in glorified bodies, and to spend eternity with God. So we have cause to rejoice, for "Death is swallowed up in victory" 1 Cor. 15:53-54. Jesus' rising from the dead both symbolizes and makes possible the new regenerated life given only by Him.
Salvation
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16
Salvation is available and it's free!!! It means to be freed from the penalty of sin. Remember this, "A saint is nothing but a sinner who fell down and God picked up." Up until now you've read about God's response to our fall and about salvation being possible. Ok so how do we get it, and what does the Bible mean by commanding us to "Believe in Christ for Salvation?"
We must individually receive Jesus Christ as our Savior.
We are not saved just because our family members are, or because of any kind of church affiliation. (God has no grandchildren) Every person must come to Christ on his or her own. Then we can know and experience, the salvation God has provided for us with the comfort of knowing we will spend eternity with Him.
"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." John 1:12
We Receive Christ through faith!!
We must trust in Christ alone for our salvation, realizing that this trust does involve the repenting of our sin. Repentance is a vital part of believing and is not in any way a separate condition of salvation. To repent means to turn towards God and away from sin, which is to essentially turn to God and away from self. We trust God to enter our lives, forgive our sins, and develop us into what He wants us to be in Him.
"If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9
"Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe" Romans 3:22
It's not enough to know about what Christ did or to intellectually agree that Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead. We must trust Christ to come into our life and forgive our sins. It is commonly said that " Knowing Christ died and rose is history, believing that He died and rose is salvation." Believing means much more than head knowledge but represents trusting in and relying on. Therefore if you trust in Christ for your salvation, then you are saved, "no ifs, ands or buts."
Salvation is only possible through God's grace.
It is a FREE GIFT from God, given by His grace..."for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Romans 3:23-24 Our salvation is based solely on the basis of God's grace, which we receive through our faith alone, in Christ alone. It is not attained by works, nor faith and works, but by grace. "Grace" is defined as "unmerited or undeserved favor." There is nothing we can do to make ourselves worthy of salvation. No good deeds or righteous acts, no moral standards, no amount of reformation, no amount of church attendance, no methods of baptism or other church ordinances, can help mankind in any way move closer to heaven or have an effect on your salvation. Again, It is based solely on God's unmerited favor. In fact, anyone who counts these things listed above as accounting for salvation is actually undermining the sufficiency of Jesus to save them by what was done on the cross. Like Ambassador from the cross movement raps" You bank on good deeds, but you can't think 'discounts' like half the price."
Mans attempt to get to God by Good works, religion, and morality
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast"Ephesians 2:8-9 "But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life-- not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace" 2 Timothy 1:8-9
Man's Response To God's Grace
In light of what God has done, how will you respond? If you respond by putting your faith in Jesus Christ, you can pass from death to Life Right Now!!! If You are ready and willing to receive Christ you can receive Him now through prayer. Prayer is simply talking to God. God is not concerned about the eloquence of your prayer, He simply looks at the heart. Here is a suggested prayer from Campus Crusade for Christ:
Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be.
You may be asking how do I know that I am saved? I don't feel like it. I don't feel different. Was Noah saved from the flood because he felt saved or because he was in the ark? Obviously the answer is because he was in the ark. In the same way, we are not saved because we "feel" like it, but we are saved because the moment we believed, we were placed in Christ Jesus, our Stronghold. Noah may have slipped and fell in the ark, but he was in the ark. We may feel down and make mistakes as Christians but Hallelujah we are in Christ Jesus. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1
Most importantly, The assurance of our salvation is found in the truth of God and His word. In fact, His word calls us to be assured of our salvation. The evidence of our salvation (a changed life, the love we have for one another) will become more evident as you grow in Christ and subject yourself to His leadership as Lord over your life. "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the son has not life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son on God you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:11-13
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die." John 11:25
Do you believe this? Salvation is a miracle of a moment , but growing in grace, and the wisdom and knowledge of Christ, is a growing process. Do not make the mistake of thinking that you have to be perfect and have everything together before coming to Christ. Does a fisherman clean the fish before or after he catches them? He cleans them afterwards, and it is the same way with us and God. If we go to Him, we'll be cleansed of our sins and evil desires. Does this mean that Christ will interrupt you in the middle of all your sins and stop you before you do them? NO! But he will convict you, and change your heart to help you turn away from these sinful acts. This is how we GROW in Christ!!! So yes, believers STILL SIN no matter how hard we try not to, because we are not Christ, and we are not perfect. For this reason, when we were saved, God gave us His very Spirit to enable and empower us to be more like Him. Paul himself said, "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing." Romans 7:18-19 So as we walk with Christ, we must rely on Him and we must be honest and willing to confess our sins. For, "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:8-9
So What Now? I'm saved, I know it, where do I go from here. Below is a beautiful acronym created by Bill Bright's Campus Crusade For Christ: "G.R.O.W.T.H."
Go to God daily in prayer (John 15;7)
Read God s Word daily (Acts 17:11) begin with the Gospel of John
Obey God, moment by moment (John 14:21)
Witness for Christ by your life and words (Matt 4:19; John 15:8)
Trust God for every detail of of your life (1 Peter 5:7)
Holy Spirit: allow Him to control and empower your daily life and witness (Gal. 5:16-17; Acts 1:8)
"My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me." And my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming"
